Once upon a time... Hollywood went to war with itself. In the mid-1930s, Communism began to find its way into the film capital of the world, and over the next two decades, it tore the glamorous world of Tinseltown apart. Over four episodes Adam Roche investigates the role of the House Un-American Activities Committee's (HUAC) witch hunt on the careers and output of those in the film industry. As Communist sympathisers are identified and friends turn on friends we hear about how political tendencies affected actors and studios from devastating careers to influencing the films released.
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(The Secret History of Hollywood, 5 July 2018, 2 hours 50 minutes, audiobook, Audible Original Podcast from @audibleuk)
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I found this podcast fascinating. I was vaguely familiar with Hollywood's obsessive war on Communism in the 30's though I'm not sure how or why I heard about it. I probably saw a documentary on TV. I was fascinated with the way things spiral more and more out of control as paranoia takes a firm hold. Hollywood stars are taken in for questioning and basically told they are lying if they refuse to answer questions or deny being a Communist or knowing other Communists which is BS. Careers were ruined over this obsessive paranoia.
